Clinical studies / Clinical justification: The herb
Brahmi is well supported with research papers published all over the world in
renowned medical research journals of recent times. Summary of some of the
research papers is given below to support its inclusion in NEEROGA Capsules.
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1) Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 2003 Jul;75(4):823-30.
Adaptogenic effect of Bacopa monniera (Brahmi).
Rai D, Bhatia G, Palit G, Pal R, Singh S, Singh HK.
Division of Pharmacology, Central Drug Research Institute, Chattar Manzil
Palace, Lucknow, India. drai@rediffmail.com
As stress is linked to many diseases, research on an effective antistress agent
(adaptogen) from plants has gained importance. We report the investigations on
the adaptogenic property of a standardized extract of Bacopa monniera against
acute (AS) and chronic stress (CS) models in rats. Panax root powder (Panax
quinquefolium) was taken as a standard. Male SD rats, weighing 180-200 g,
exposed to immobilization stress for 150 min once only for AS and for seven
consecutive days in CS, were fed with B. monniera or Panax root powder daily
for 3 days in AS and for 7 days in CS, 45 min prior to each exposure of stress.
Rats were sacrificed immediately after stress, the blood was collected, and the
plasma was separated out for biochemical estimation. Adrenals, spleen, and
thymus were dissected for organ weight and stomach for ulcer score. AS exposure
significantly increased the ulcer index, adrenal gland weight, plasma glucose,
alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and creatine
kinase (CK) but significantly decreased the spleen weight. Pretreatment with B.
monniera at 40 mg/kg po significantly reduced the AS-induced increase in the
ulcer index, adrenal gland weight, plasma glucose, AST, and CK. A dose of 80
mg/kg po significantly reversed the AS-induced changes in adrenal gland weight,
spleen weight, plasma glucose, ALT, and AST. Panax root powder, 100 mg/kg po,
significantly reversed the AS-induced changes in spleen weight, plasma ALT,
AST, and CK. CS exposure resulted in a significant increase in the ulcer index,
adrenal gland weight, plasma AST, and CK with a significant decrease in the
thymus and spleen weight, plasma triglyceride, and cholesterol. Pretreatment
with low dose of B. monniera extract at 40 mg/kg significantly reversed changes
in ulcer index and plasma AST only, whereas the pretreatment with higher dose
significantly reversed CS-induced changes in ulcer index, adrenal gland weight,
CK, and AST. Panax root powder significantly reversed CS-induced increase in
ulcer index, adrenal gland weight, CK, and AST. On the basis of our result, it
is concluded that the standardized extract of B. monniera possesses a potent
adaptogenic activity.
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2) Phytother Res. 2002 Nov;16(7):639-45.
Antistress effects of bacosides of Bacopa monnieri: modulation of Hsp70
expression, superoxide dismutase and cytochrome P450 activity in rat brain.
Chowdhuri DK, Parmar D, Kakkar P, Shukla R, Seth PK, Srimal RC.
Industrial Toxicology Research Center, PO Box 80, M.G. Marg, Lucknow - 226001,
UP, India.
The antistress effect of bacosides of Brahmi (Bacopa monnieri, BBM), dissolved
in distilled water, was -studied in adult male Sprague Dawley rats by
administering oral doses of 20 and 40 mg/kg for 7 consecutive days. In half of
the animals treated with 20 or 40 mg/kg of BBM, stress was given 2 h after the
last dose. Stress was also administered to the animals treated with distilled
water alone. BBM, at both doses, did not induce a significant change in the
expression of Hsp70 in any brain region studied while stress alone produced a
significant increase in the Hsp70 expression in all the brain regions. A
significant decrease in the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) was evident
in the hippocampus with the lower dose of BBM and in animals given stress
alone, while an increase in the activity of SOD was observed in the brain
regions with the higher dose of BBM. An increase in the activity of cytochrome
P450 (P450) dependent 7-pentoxyresorufin-o-dealkylase (PROD) and
7-ethoxyresorufin-o-deethylase (EROD) was observed in all the brain regions
after exposure to stress alone and with both doses of BBM although the
magnitude of induction of P450 expression was less with a higher dose of BBM.
Interestingly, stress when given to the animals pretreated with BBM for 7 days
resulted in a decrease in Hsp70 expression in all the brain regions with a
significant decrease occurring only in the hippocampus. Likewise the activity
of SOD was found to be further reduced in all the brain regions in the animals
treated with the lower dose of BBM followed by stress. However, when stress was
given to the animals pretreated with the higher dose of BBM, a significant
increase in the enzyme activity was observed in the cerebral cortex and in the
rest of the brain while the activity of SOD was reduced to a much greater
extent in the cerebellum and in the hippocampus. Likewise, the activity of P450
enzymes was found to be restored to almost control levels in the animals given
stress and pretreated with the higher dose of BBM, while a lesser degree of
induction, compared with animals treated with BBM or stress alone, was observed
in the animals pretreated with the lower dose of BBM and given stress. The data
indicate that BBM has potential to modulate the activities of Hsp70, P450 and
SOD thereby possibly allowing the brain to be prepared to act under adverse
conditions such as stress. Copyright 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
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3) Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2001 Aug;156(4):481-4.
The chronic effects of an extract of Bacopa monniera (Brahmi) on cognitive
function in healthy human subjects.
Stough C, Lloyd J, Clarke J, Downey LA, Hutchison CW, Rodgers T, Nathan PJ.
Neuropsychology Laboratory, School of Biophysical Science and Electrical
Engineering, Victoria, Australia.
RATIONALE: Extracts of Bacopa monniera have been reported to exert cognitive
enhancing effects in animals. However, the effects on human cognition are
inconclusive.
OBJECTIVE: The current study examined the chronic effects of an
extract of B. monniera (Keenmind) on cognitive function in healthy human
subjects. METHODS: The study was a double-blind placebo-controlled
independent-group design in which subjects were randomly allocated to one of
two treatment conditions, B. monniera (300 mg) or placebo. Neuropsychological
testing was conducted pre-(baseline) and at 5 and 12 weeks post drug
administration.
RESULTS: B. monniera significantly improved speed of visual
information processing measured by the IT task, learning rate and memory
consolidation measured by the AVLT (P<0.05), and state anxiety (P<0.001)
compared to placebo, with maximal effects evident after 12 weeks.
CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that B. monniera may improve
higher order cognitive processes that are critically dependent on the input of
information from our environment such as learning and memory.
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4) Hum Psychopharmacol. 2004 Mar; 19(2):91-6.
Effects of a combined extract of Ginkgo biloba and Bacopa monniera on cognitive
function in healthy humans.
Nathan PJ, Tanner S, Lloyd J, Harrison B, Curran L, Oliver C, Stough C.
Neuropsychopharmacology Laboratory, Brain Sciences Institute, Swinburne
University, Victoria, Australia. pnathan@bsi.swin.edu.au
Extracts of Ginkgo biloba and Bacopa monniera have been shown to produce
positive effects on cognitive function in healthy subjects. While the exact
mechanisms are not known, it has been suggested that antioxidant properties and
cholinergic modulation may play a role. In the current study the sub-chronic (2
weeks) and chronic (4 weeks) effects of an extract containing Ginkgo biloba
(120 mg) and Bacopa monniera (300 mg) (Blackmores Ginkgo Brahmi) on cognitive
function were examined. The study was a randomized, double-blind,
placebo-controlled, independent group design in which 85 healthy subjects were
allocated to one of two treatment conditions (placebo or combined Ginkgo biloba
and Bacopa monniera extract). Testing was conducted at baseline and 2 and 4
weeks post treatment. The results showed that the combined extract relative to
placebo did not demonstrate any significant effects on tests investigating a
range of cognitive processes including attention, short-term and working
memory, verbal learning, memory consolidation, executive processes, planning
and problem solving, information processing speed, motor responsiveness and
decision making. These findings suggest that at least within the current
treatment duration and doses, an extract containing Ginkgo biloba and Bacopa
monniera had no cognitive enhancing effects in healthy subjects.
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5) J Ethnopharmacol. 1982 Mar, 5(2):205-14.
Effect of Bacopa monniera Linn. (brahmi) extract on avoidance responses in rat.
Singh HK, Dhawan BN.
Brahmi (Bacopa monniera Linn.) is a reputed nerve tonic in Ayurvedic
literature. Hence its effects on the learning performance of rats have been
studied in different conditioning schedules by administering an aqueous
suspension of an alcoholic extract (40 mg/kg, p.o.) for three or more days. The
first schedule induced a labile behaviour using a shock-motivated
brightness-discrimination reaction. The brahmi-treated group showed better
acquisition, improved retention and delayed extinction (p is less than
0.01-0.05). Similarly, in an active conditioned flight reaction, the
drug-treated animals showed a shorter reaction time than the controls (p less
than 0.01). Also in the continuous avoidance response the drug-treated group
performed better than the controls (p less than 0.01-0.05). Our findings are in
conformity with the Ayurvedic claims and indicate that Bacopa monniera can
improve the performance of rats in various learning situations.